I was somewhat disappointed because much of this movie felt really forced. The heavyweight champs in the other movies were very believable, this champ looks like middleweight. 60 year old Rocky had a bigger build than this Kevin Garnet look-alike. It's a shame that Stallone didn't use a real heavywight, because that would have made the final scene more realistic. Many of the I was somewhat disappointed because much of this movie felt really forced. The heavyweight champs in the other movies were very believable, this champ looks like middleweight. 60 year old Rocky had a bigger build than this Kevin Garnet look-alike. It's a shame that Stallone didn't use a real heavywight, because that would have made the final scene more realistic. Many of the other actors did not fit either, and some of the scenes were just too unrealistic [**SPOILER***] Rocky's son quiting his job after his Rocky's speech to watch his dad train . And do you expect us to believe that Rocky, after all these years, has no one else to bring to Vegas than "little" Marie and her son. I wouldn't expect Rocky to have to bribe people into becoming his friends. I really wanted to like this film, and the final scene made me forget some of the flaws, but as another reviewer said, it felt like it was written by a college kid.…Expand

Rocky's soliloquies were embarassingly simple and of the dime-store philosopher type. He still hasn't learned to keep his hands up, so he's still a human punching bag. Joe Cortez let the fight continue after the 50+ year old fighter was knocked down twice in one round? Never. Suspension of disbelief was impossible because we were given proposterous story elements. Bad Rocky's soliloquies were embarassingly simple and of the dime-store philosopher type. He still hasn't learned to keep his hands up, so he's still a human punching bag. Joe Cortez let the fight continue after the 50+ year old fighter was knocked down twice in one round? Never. Suspension of disbelief was impossible because we were given proposterous story elements. Bad performances and even worse dialogue pepper this disaster.…Expand

Other than a few somewhat funny (yet completely forced) one liners, this movie was a huge disappointment. I can't believe the reviews are this good. It honestly felt like the movie was written by a college kid who saw one too many sports movies.

Like the "Star Wars" prequels, the highlight of "Rocky Balboa" is the music. Both films are dependent on the audience's nostalgia for its predecessors and can't truly stand on their own merits. If you're not genuinely thrilled when Rocky charges up those Philadelphian steps; you're either a corpse, or a Rocky virgin. "Rocky Balboa", unfortunately, lays on the Like the "Star Wars" prequels, the highlight of "Rocky Balboa" is the music. Both films are dependent on the audience's nostalgia for its predecessors and can't truly stand on their own merits. If you're not genuinely thrilled when Rocky charges up those Philadelphian steps; you're either a corpse, or a Rocky virgin. "Rocky Balboa", unfortunately, lays on the sentimentality a little too thick, and the most ardent fan has to admit; somewhat forced(same turtles, fine; but same hat and coat after thirty years?) to the brink of preposterousness(that pet shop must be a front for some drug operation). "Rocky Balboa" impressively recreates the look and feel from the John Avildsen-directed original, which makes psychological sense since Rocky is living in the past. What doesn't make sense is the deployment of that same color palette for the scenes detailing the Mason Dixon(Antonio Tarver) camp. To me, there should be a color contrast to indicate both fighters' psychical state. But that would be an art film. In an art film, Adrian(Talia Shire, who must've been royally pissed to be left out) wouldn't be flickering for the people who loved "Ghost". Mrs. Balboa's presence would exist solely in her grieving husband's eyes. To Stallone's credit, he could've pulled it off. The big fight starts off well(it's presented in real time), but then Stallone gets artsy(oh,oh), and makes the unfortunate switch to ornate montage, which to me, resembles a collaboration between Rod Serling and Darin Aronofsky("Requeim for a Heavyweight Dream").…Expand

There is much to poke at in Rocky Balboa, yet the movie, with its amusingly updated ''Gonna Fly Now'' montage and its very niftily staged climactic bout, summons just enough incredulous wit about just how often Rocky has been around this particular block to let Sylvester Stallone earn his nostalgia.